Jason Meyer - Desiring GodDesiring God Feed for Jason Meyerhttp://www.desiringgod.org/authors/jason-meyer
enThink of Yourself LessJason Meyer<img alt="Think of Yourself Less" src="http://cdn.desiringgod.org/website_uploads/images/resource-images/8721/full_think-of-yourself-less.jpg?1427324045" /><p>I am very qualified to speak on pride because I am so proud. I <em>hate</em> my pride, but what I take even more seriously is how God hates it so much more.</p>
<p>Pride is our greatest enemy because it makes God our enemy — an almighty opponent. “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Why? What makes pride so singularly repulsive to God is the way that pride contends for supremacy with God himself. Pride is not one sin among many, but a sin in a class by itself. Other sins lead the sinner further <em>from God</em>, but pride is particularly heinous in that it attempts to elevate the sinner <em>above God</em>.</p>
<p>Pride is not just a sin, but a <em>sinful mother</em> — a sinful orientation that gives birth to more sins. For example, pride can lead to lying. You tell a lie because you are too proud to admit you were wrong or you did something wrong. But the problem is so much bigger. Pride doesn’t just tell lies; it is a lie.</p>
<p>Why? Pride is self-obsession; pride is preoccupation with ourselves. Therefore, it is a lie about reality. It says I am worth thinking about all the time. It is an orientation that wrongly assumes that everything revolves around us.</p>
<h2>A Shape-Shifting Sin</h2>
<p>Pride deserves to die, but it is hard to spot and even harder to kill. Pride is a slippery sin because it is a shape-shifter. Jonathan Edwards said pride is “the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all sins.” Let me give you an example. Here is a conversation that I might have with myself after a meeting at church:</p>
<p>“That meeting went really well. I think the turning point might have been when I asked that question which no one had thought to ask before. Wait a minute! That was such a prideful thought. It sounds like I am taking credit for the meeting going well. I am such a prideful person. I hate my pride.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile <em>three seconds</em> later, “I fight pride pretty hard. I’m glad that I caught that initial prideful thought. I wonder if other people are as aware of their pride and fight it as hard as I do. Wait a minute! It just happened again. I am <em>taking pride in my awareness of pride</em>. O, deliver me from this body of death, Lord Jesus! Thank you God that you give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”</p>
<h2>Several Shapes of Pride</h2>
<p>If pride is preoccupation with ourselves, then we cannot defeat pride by becoming preoccupied with how we are doing against pride. When we do, we play right into the hands of pride because we take a page out of pride’s playbook. Think about yourself more. Obsess more. Become preoccupied with how you are doing — how the fight is going.</p>
<p>You can fall into self-exaltation (<em>takes credit</em> for success) and self-promotion (put those successes in other peoples faces so they will <em>give us credit</em> for them). But pride can shift into the shape of self-degradation and self-demotion when we beat ourselves up for our failures. We are still obsessed with ourselves. In the first form, we are obsessed with our successes; in the second, we are obsessed with our failures.</p>
<h2>Think of Yourself Less</h2>
<p>Maybe some of this will make more sense if we talk about what real humility is. As C.S. Lewis said, true humility is “not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less.” We can spend a lot of time thinking <em>less of ourselves</em> but we only end up thinking <em>a lot about ourselves</em>. The problem of pride does not boil down to whether we think high thoughts or low thoughts about ourselves but that we think lots of thoughts about ourselves.</p>
<p>Humility is fundamentally a form of self-forgetfulness as opposed to pride’s self-fixation. Humility can set you free because when you think about yourself less you are free to think about Christ more. Humility puts us on the path of grace; pride puts us on the path of opposition. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).</p>
<h2>Two Crash Sites</h2>
<p>The collision between the glory of God and the pride of man has two possible crash sites: hell or the cross. In other words, either we will pay for our sins in hell or Christ will pay for our sins on the cross. Hell is like an eternal crash site and crime scene. It is a horror movie in which there are no closing credits because it never ends.</p>
<p>God opposes pride actively and hates it passionately, which means that pride is spiritual suicide. The reason is simple. Pride is on a collision course with God himself and the date is set. “For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up — and it shall be brought low” (Isaiah 2:12). All must be torn down so that one thing alone may be left standing. “The Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11). The Bible calls it the day of the Lord.</p>
<p>But God in his mercy made another way. The Son of God emptied himself by taking on humanity and humbled himself by obeying to the point of death — even the death of the cross. God sends his Son to vindicate the worth of his great name, which sinners have defamed. The sacrifice of Christ fully absorbs and satisfies the wrath of God. This glorious aspect of the atonement is called “propitiation” (Romans 3:24–25).</p>
<h2>The Solution to Our Self-Obsession</h2>
<p>Seeing the cross rightly crushes our pride decisively. Why? Seeing the cross rightly means that we see ourselves rightly. We see him on the cross and conclude that we are actually seeing our sin on the cross. The cross reveals what we deserve from God. We cannot receive the <em>grace of Christ</em> apart from seeing and embracing the undeserved <em>dis-grace of Christ</em>.</p>
<p>We see the cross rightly through the miracle of conversion. We were blind to the glory of Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians 4:3–4), but God’s grace is stronger. When Christ is proclaimed, God overcomes our spiritual blindness by flooding our hearts with light. The eyes of the heart are opened to see and savor the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). The Spirit acts like a floodlight to illuminate the work of Christ on the cross.</p>
<p>The Bible’s answer to our fallen self-obsession is a great work of grace in the gospel that creates a worshipful obsession with God. Pride is defeated decisively at conversion, progressively in sanctification, and totally at glorification — where we experience ever-increasing, everlasting, white-hot worship of God. The day is coming when God alone will be exalted. It will be the worst day for unbelievers and the happiest day for all Christians.</p>
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<p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/n8iITJ8.jpg" align="right"></p>
<p>Jason Meyer contributed a chapter on pride in the book <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/books/killjoys"><em>Killjoys: The Seven Deadly Sins</em></a>. Electronic versions of the book are free of charge at <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/books/killjoys">desiringGod.org</a>. Print copies are available through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killjoys-Seven-Deadly-Desiring-God/dp/0991277627/?tag=desigod04-20">Amazon</a>.</p>
<p><em>Killjoys</em> was written to lead you deeper in love with our God and further into war against your sin. Pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust are woefully inadequate substitutes for the wonder, beauty, and affection of God. This short message was part of the <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/by-series/2015-conference-for-pastors">2015 Conference for Pastors</a>.</p>
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<h2>Other Resources in this Series</h2>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-can-say-no-to-porn">You Can Say No to Porn</a> (Lust)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/america-s-most-tolerated-sin">America’s Most Tolerated Sin</a> (Gluttony)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-fight-dragon-sickness">How to Fight Dragon-Sickness</a> (Greed)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lazy-busy">Lazy Busy</a> (Sloth)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-war-of-love">The War of Love</a> (Anger)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/envy-and-rivalry-in-ministry">Envy and Rivalry in Ministry</a> (Envy)</p></li>
</ul>Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:00:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/think-of-yourself-less
desiringgod.org-resource-8721The Seven Deadly SinsJason Meyer, Jonathan Parnell, Joe Rigney, Johnathon Bowers, David Mathis, John Piper, and Tony Reinke<p></p><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-seven-deadly-sins">Read Now</a></p>Tue, 03 Feb 2015 15:00:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-seven-deadly-sins
desiringgod.org-resource-5075Intertexuality and the Glory of GodJason Meyer<p></p><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/intertexuality-and-the-glory-of-god">Listen Now</a></p>Fri, 03 Oct 2014 12:00:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/intertexuality-and-the-glory-of-god
desiringgod.org-resource-4899Preaching for the ChurchJason Meyer<p>Jason Meyer on what makes pastoral preaching distinctive.</p><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/preaching-for-the-church">Watch Now</a></p>Fri, 25 Oct 2013 16:15:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/preaching-for-the-church
desiringgod.org-resource-3151Speaker Panel John Piper, Kent Hughes, Darrin Patrick, Jason Meyer, and Tope Koleoso<p></p><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/speaker-panel--4">Watch Now</a></p>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:52:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/speaker-panel--4
desiringgod.org-resource-2817Pastoral Transition After a 32-Year Ministry: Strategy and the SupernaturalJason Meyer<p></p><p><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/pastoral-transition-after-a-32-year-ministry-strategy-and-the-supernatural">Watch Now</a></p>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:01:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/pastoral-transition-after-a-32-year-ministry-strategy-and-the-supernatural
desiringgod.org-resource-2811Psalm 119: The Life-Giving Power of the WordJason Meyer<p>Psalm 119:25,</p>
<blockquote><p><em>My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Have you ever felt something of a schizophrenic relationship to the Bible? At times our hearts are alive to the word of God, while at other times our hearts feel dull and almost dead. This is not merely a frustrating dynamic; it is a fearful condition.</p>
<p> But we find a kindred spirit in a surprising place: Psalm 119. </p>
<p>I say &ldquo;surprising&rdquo; because Psalm 119 is a poem of love for the word of God. Going here with our problem seems like a person struggling with singleness going to a wedding celebration! Help, however, comes in the stanza devoted to the Hebrew letter <em>daleth</em> (Psalm 119:25–32). </p>
<h4>The Struggle of Dust</h4>
<p>The psalmist cries out in anguish that his &ldquo;soul melts away for sorrow&rdquo; (Psalm 119:28). His struggle, however, is not simply sorrow. The psalmist confesses that his soul &ldquo;clings to the dust&rdquo; (Psalm 119:25). &ldquo;Dust&rdquo; here is not a generic metaphorical way of saying that he is struggling. It is a pointed theological reminder of the brokenness that comes from humanity&rsquo;s fallen state. This word for dust appears as part of God&rsquo;s pronouncement of curse upon the human race: &ldquo;till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are <em>dust</em>, and to <em>dust</em> you shall return&rdquo; (Genesis 3:19). The psalmist, like us, finds himself struggling with the effects that flow from his own fallen, broken state.</p>
<p> But the fall is not the final word. We can find hope to delight in God again, even in a fallen world. This stanza opens with the psalmist &ldquo;clinging to the dust,&rdquo; but it ends with the psalmist running in the way of God&rsquo;s commandments because God has enlarged his heart (Psalm 119:32). </p>
<h4>From Clinging to Dust to Running to God</h4>
<p>So how can we move from clinging to running?</p>
<p> The answer lies in the <em>life-giving power of God&rsquo;s word</em>. The opening verse (verse 25) consists of both a confession and a prayer: &ldquo;my soul clings to the dust&rdquo; (confession), &ldquo;give me life according to your word&rdquo; (prayer). The same structure is seen in verse 28: &ldquo;My soul melts away for sorrow&rdquo; (confession); &ldquo;strengthen me according to your word&rdquo; (prayer).</p>
<p> Understanding this answer requires us to move both backwards and forwards in the Bible.</p>
<p> First, overhearing the psalmist pray for God to give life to dust takes us back to Genesis 2:7. &ldquo;Then the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
God formed the man of <em>dust</em> from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the <em>breath of life</em>, and the man became a <em>living</em> creature.&rdquo; </p>
<p>Second, God&rsquo;s breath of life shows up again in 2 Timothy 3:16 in connection with the word of God because &ldquo;all Scripture is breathed-out by God.&rdquo;</p>
<h4>When We Read the Bible</h4>
<p>These connections help us see that now God breathes his breath of life into a book, not directly into us. We breathe in that breath of life when we read the Bible.</p>
<p>
It seems almost counterintuitive, but when we wrestle with a brokenness that causes us not even to desire the Bible, the solution is to turn to the Bible. This solution is not a vote of confidence in ourselves (as if our reading skills could ever overcome our fallen state); but in the word itself as God&rsquo;s life-giving breath. </p>
<p>May God move you from clinging to dust to delighting in his Word. May his breath fill up your lungs to run the race of faith.</p>
<p><em>Jason Meyer is the Assistant Professor of New Testament at<a href="http://bcsmn.org/"> Bethlehem College and Seminary</a>. He's the author of </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080544842X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=desigod-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=080544842X">The End of the Law</a><em> (B&amp;H Academic, 2009) and Preaching: A Biblical Theology (forthcoming). </em></p>
<p>________</p>
<p>Recent posts in "Seeking God in the Psalms" —</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/psalm-121-what-it-means-that-yahweh-is-your-guardian">Psalm 121: What It Means That Yahweh Is Your Guardian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/psalm-135-and-the-pleasure-of-god-in-all-he-does">Psalm 135 and the Pleasure of God in All He Does</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/psalm-2-and-world-evangelization">Psalm 2 and World Evangelization</a></li>
</ul>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:10:00 +0000http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/psalm-119-the-life-giving-power-of-the-word
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